Note: this short chapter is meant to give a little glimpse into the trust-building between Gibbs and Sloane early on. Even though they don't work directly together the have a mutual history and respect and I felt like this episode with Afghanistan was a perfect opportunity. Enjoy and please as always let me know what you think.
It had been a stressful couple of days with Agent Sloane and Torres suddenly disappearing in Afghanistan with the senator and the senator's son nearly dying. Gibbs had been very relieved when he saw agent Sloane and Torres standing outside his door even though he had known for hours that they were safe and, on their way, back to Washington DC. The sight of them and actually getting to hug them was the relive he needed to comprehend that they were safely back.
The senator and his son had been catching up. While Sloane and Torres told Gibbs about Chet Goodman, and what had happened in the desert and the cave. There was one sentence that kept echoing in Gibbs's head. "I do not want history to repeat itself." that was what Leon Vance had told Gibbs when they had talked about why Gibbs had given up his seat on the protection details for Sloane. It had been echoing in Gibbs's head ever since. Jack and Torres, along with the senator, told Chandler about what had happened in Afghanistan. It continued to repeat in his head every time he looked over at Sloane. It had distracted him, and one-time senator Phillips had even called Gibbs out on it. Gibbs, the master of poker face, had just dismissed it, but it had not gone unnoticed by Jack either, but she knew better than to call Gibbs out in front of others. It did not go unnoticed by Jack how Gibbs kept looking at her, and it sometimes seemed like he was lost in his head instead of listening to the conversation. It wasn't unusual for Gibbs. She has learned that from working with him over the past few months. Yet tonight, he seemed unusually focused on her.
After the senator and his son leave Gibbs's house, Nick decides to head home too. Jack is about to leave when Gibbs disappears into the kitchen. He quickly comes back with two cold beers in his hand. He holds one of them out as an offer to her. She accepts with a smile. Gibbs drops down on the couch. He looks up at Jack, waiting for her to join him on the sofa. She smiles and then takes off her winter coat and leaves her jacket hanging over the back of one of the dining table chairs. She sits down on the other side of the couch and takes a swing at the cold beer. She then looks over at Gibbs, who has been observing her.
"what do you want to know?" she asks suddenly and receives a surprising look from Gibbs.
"nothing." He says casually. "I offered you a beer. It is not because I expect anything from you, Jack. It was just a beer."
Jack is looking right through his white lie.
"you want to know why I volunteered to go to a place that most people prefer to stay far away from. Especially considering that you know I have been there before."
"you had your reasons."
"do you know the reason?" Jack asks. Gibbs notice how her body language and her facial expression suddenly change to be more defensive.
"Nope." Gibbs just simply says and takes another thing off his beer. He notices how it seems like Jack is breathing out slowly like she is relieved that he doesn't know.
"Leon wasn't happy that I let you get my spot on the senator's protection details thought."
"I figured he wouldn't," Jack says while she is looking down at her hands that are wrapped about the cold beer. She seems a little embarrassed about causing Gibbs trouble with Leon because of her. "He gave you hell?" Jack asks after a few moments and then look over at Gibbs.
"Nah," Gibbs says casually and leans back against the backrest of the couch. he looks over at her with a sincere look. "Leon worries about you. I don't know your history, but he was concerned about history repeating itself."
Jack nods understandably and leans back took.
"did he tell you about the history?" Jack asks, concerned.
"no," Gibbs says, and once against, he notices how she exhales clearly relieved of his answer.
"Listen, Jack," Gibbs says and leans forward. He looks down at his hands for a moment to choose his right words. "I don't know your history with Afghanistan or with Vance. I know you served in the army, and I know better than most people that war can cause some scars that you don't want to share with others. Because they most likely won't understand what you saw or went through over there." Jack nods and looks down at her hands as he continues to speak. "I don't expect you to tell me either." Jack has a soft smile on her face when Gibbs looks over at her once he is done talking. She looks down at her hands. Avoiding eye contact with him. "I only expect one thing, though." He adds, and it makes her eyes shoot up to meet his. "that you trust me enough to have your back."
She nods with a smile.
"I do." She says with a sincere smile when her eyes meet hers.
"although you have made it very clear from the beginning that you don't work for me," he says, to lighten the mood, and he's pleased when he sees the big smile on her face, it makes them both laugh.
"you and I both know the importance of having a team that has your back," Jack adds with sincerity, and Gibbs nods. Jacks holds out her beer bottle towards Gibbs for a cheer.
"Merry Christmas, Gibbs," Jack says when the necks of the bottle's blades against each other.
"Merry Christmas, Jack," Gibbs says, looking into her soft brown eyes as they both take a swing of their beer.
Note: Whenever I write the response "Nah" for Gibbs, I have a clip in my mind (from YouTube). It is from an episode of Chicago hope with Mark Harmon (Jack McNeil) and Lauren Holly (Jeremy) – in the scene (from Chicago hope), Jeremy asks Jack if he was even the slightest bit scared. Jack has this super cocky smile on his face when he answers, "Nah."
You should really check that clip out on YouTube if you love Mark Harmon (and the classic Gibbs smile) – it is short but AWESOME.